Tree Art

Trees

I noticed the other day, we have tree images in every room in our house. We never planned it that way.

This canvas print of the Sycamore Gap tree, that was felled by vandals last year in Scotland, hangs in our foyer.

I do love trees. And I do love nature.

A water color by local artist Kathy Miller…of trails on St. Olaf campus. This painting hangs in our dining room.

I love birds and critters, sky and clouds, flowers and trees, sunrises and sunsets.

My own artwork, while creating art with my granddaughter. I hung it on the refrigerator! 😉

I try to be out in nature whenever possible, and I try to bring some of it indoors.

These three metal trees hang in our sunroom.

I took photos of my tree images to share. They are as varied as live trees themselves.

Another metal sculpture that hangs in our living room area.

Also in our living room – an old piece of folk art – a jewel tree made by my late Auntie Doll.

And I am reminded of the “tree poem” by Ilan Shamir that “gives advice from a tree.” The poem is often abbreviated, and seen on bookmarks or plaques.

And this photo of the Lake Superior shoreline hangs in our bathroom.

Advice from a Tree

Stand tall and proud.
Go out on a limb.
Remember your roots.
Drink plenty of water.
Be content with your natural beauty.
Enjoy the view.

The entire, beautiful Advice from a Tree poem gives even more advice. You can read it here.

This back-lit tree plaque hangs above the fireplace during winter months.

A print of an illustration from a children’s book, hanging in our bedroom.

Truthfully, there are even more tree images (and flowers and birds and…) around our house. We were surprised when we realize how many we had hanging around, or should I say, standing tall.

Nature’s Art

Nature’s art is everywhere…unique and beautiful!

This particular “tree stump art” took me by surprise. While riding my bike I rode past a friend’s house and she was out in her driveway so I stopped and we chatted for a few minutes (6’ apart). She told me to take a look at her tree stump in her backyard so I did. I asked her who created the design and she said “bugs”!

I thought a pattern was burned into the stump to create art…but bugs created the artwork all by themselves. It was striking.

Trails in the stump made by bugs. Photo by cb

That week we took a hike at Cannon Valley Wilderness Park near Faribault and saw the creative work of eagles. There in the treetops were two giant nests and an eagle was sitting in one of them.

Of course spring flowers are nature’s art…Wilderness Park was full of Spring Beauty, a tiny pink spring flower carpeting the ground in many places throughout the park. Unfortunately my photo didn’t turn out.

Nature’s art is in clouds…

and tulips…

and tree bark…

Our pair of resident cardinals eating at the bird feeder attached to our window. It looks like they are perching on the back of our chair!

and birds. It’s all around us. God’s handiwork.

Look and see that the Lord is good…the beauty of the Lord is all around us.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

On our first hike in Rocky Mountain National Park two weeks ago we noticed a fallen tree with very beautiful and artistic designs in it’s exposed roots. I took a couple of photos and from then on I began noticing what I have come to call “tree art.”

Below are a few photos of tree art that I took in the park: different trees, tree stumps, and tree roots.